The Skies the Limit
by Little Bitty Foxey
Summary: Set in a world where the only tom that Dovewing knows is Bumblestripe, this she-cat encounters one of the horrible beasts that has been terrorizing the clans for years. The beast kills Bumblestripe, leaving Dovewing devastated. But what it does after it takes her away from her clan is like nothing she has ever heard of from the stories told.
1. Chapter 1

**So... um... first off, let's start this by saying this: I AM NOT USED TO WRITING FANTASY. I AM WRITING THIS FOR A FRIEND OF MINE WHO I HOLD VERY DEAR IN MY HEART. Enjoy**** or die****!.**

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Dovewing yawned sleepily in her nest, stretching her stiff limbs. She blinked up at the full moon, whose light slipped past the thorn weaving of the warriors den. Today she was to stay in Thunderclan while the rest of camp was off at the gathering, bored while they had fun.

Dovewing stretched. looking around for Bumblestripe, her mate. She didn't see him, so she assumed that he was out sitting watch. Shrugging,Dovewing stood, stretching, before padding out of the den.

"Halt." a deep voice mewed.

Dovewing wipped around to see a pale gray tom with black stripes, and her racing heart slowed. "Oh. Bumblestripe. Thank Starclan that it is only you. I thought that you were some other cat out to kill me!"

Bumblestripe purred in amusement. "Now, wouldn't that be something. Honestly, though," He mewed as he wrapped himself around the pale gray she-cat in front of him. "I don't see why anybody would want to kill you."

Dovewing snorted. "You'd be surprised." She flicked an ear. "Any sign of the above-grounders yet?"

Bumblestripe shook his head. "Nothing. I'm begining to grow suspicious of their lack of activity. Considering only three cats have been taken by the known lone abovers, the group is oddly quite, don't you say?"

Dovewing grew troubled over his speculation. "Yes, yes. It does seem quite odd." the she-cat sighed. "I wish I still had my powers. Then I could listen to them, even if I don't understand what they are saying."

Bumblestripe gave her a comforting lick on the ear. "If Starclan wanted you to still have them, you would still have them. We can get through this, together, Dovewing."

The she-cat sighed. "Oh... I hope your right, Bumblestripe."

Bumblestripe smiled. "Hope is for the blind-"

"And faith is for the strong." Dovewing finished, rolling her eyes. "Fine. I have faith that you are right."

"I know that I'm right." Bumblestripe purred. "I love you, Dovewing."

"And I you, Bumblestripe."

Bumblestripe let out a soft sigh, looking up at the sky. "Come on. Spiderleg took over watch, and I want some time with you before I fall asleep. Wanna share some prey?"

"I would love to." Dovewing purred.

"Cool. Go settle down into our nest and I'll be right there with you."

x~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~x

"We're being attacked!"

Dovewing jolted awake, jumping up in a scramble as she tried to escape her nest. Bumblestripe looked up, bedraggled and sleepy looking as he lurched out of their shared nest. Dovewing didn't wait for him to récover from his sleep before she ranout of the warriors den.

"Who's attacking us? Grounders, or-" Dovewing was cut off asa scream sounded from the nursery, shrill. Dovewing whipped her head around and bounded over to it, until she was knocked over by a powerful force.

Head spinning, she saw a beast that looked to be almost cat, except it had bat-like wings protruding from where it's forepaws should be, and taloned hindpaws much like an eagles. It's face had a beak, sharp to tear the flesh off of squirming prey. It's taloned hind paws were carrying three kits, and it took off into the air with their mother sobbing below it.

Dovewing felt a presence by her side nd she looked over to see Bumblestripe, eyes wide as he watched havoc tear threw their near-empty camp. "This was their plan all along." he whispered. "To attack us while our numbers were low."

Dovewing shook her head to clear it. "Well then what are you doing? We can't just stand around all day!" she snarled. "Fight!" She let out a battle cry as she launched herself at the nearest above-grounder.

Bumblestripe hesitated before his eyes narrowed in fury and he attacked a different abve-grounder.

Dovewing fought hard and viciously, furious at the fact that these beasts would dare attack on the night of the truce. Even if they didn't go by the clan cats rules, they could t the very least _respect _them!

Dovewing froze as the beast caught her eyes in it's gaze. She never thought the rumors to have been true, the ones that say that when you look into the abovers eyes, they should you your darkest, most deepest thoughts and desires. That their ability was so strong that it petrified any who looked into it's eyes. But now Dovewing was trapped in it's gaze, swaying slightly as it slowly made it's way to her. She was able to take in every detail of it's cat-like pelt and entire being as it did so, holding her trapped as it sized her up.

This particular beast was tall. Not much taller than Dovewing, but tall enough for her to guess it to be male. His cat pelt was that of a dark brown tabby, peculiar because he was the only tabby Abover that Dovewing had ever seen. His bat wings were black, pitch as night on the no-moon when the clouds blocked the stars.

The male Abover let out a rattling hiss-like growl, and his green eyes flashed with a hungry blood-red color as it advanced on her. Dovewing had heard the sound plenty of times before, and so she closed her eyes, waiting to be taken away by the peculiar Abover. She held her breath, waiting for the moment to pass, but instead, an angry yowl ruffled her pelt.

Dovewing opened her eyes to see Bumblestripe leaping at the Abover. The Abover let out a snarl-roar and broke eye contact with Dovewing, making the she-cat collapse as she tried þo gain her bearings saw a double-vision Bumblestripe wrestling with a double-vision Abover, in a fight between life and death.

Bumblestripe rammed into the Abover, making him fly. Letting out a furious screech, the dark tabby Abover spread his wings and flew at Bumblestripe, grabbing his shoulders before spiraling into the air with the struggling tom. Stopping a good ten fox-lengths above camp, the Abover dropped Bumblestripe, watching with twisted satisfaction as the light gray tom fell.

Dovewing let out a cry as Bumblestripe crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. She tried to stand, but tipped sideways as her paws gave out. "Bumblestripe!" Dovewing cried. "Get up! Please! Get up! We can get through this together, just please get up!"

Bumblestripe stirred. "h, I hope you're right."

Dovewing let out a relieved sob as she tried to stand again. "Hope is for the blind..."

"And faith is for the strong." Bumblestripe finished with a whisper, trying to shake his head clear from the fall. "Dovewing, I want you to know that, if I don't make it through in this fight, that I will always love you."

"No! Don't say that! Don't- Bumblestripe!" Dovewing screeched as the Abover landed on her mate. The Abover threw back his head and let out a strangled _caw_ before driving his beak straight threw Bumbestripes skull. Pulling it out of thenow dead tom's head, the Abover looked towards Dovewing.

The pale gray she-cat growled before yowling at the Abover and charging head on to it. "You killed my mate! You shall pay for this!"

The dark brown tabby Abover made a sound that resembled what Dovewing thought to be laughter before fanning out his wings and bursting into the air with a single powerful flap. It flew at Dovewing, picking her up, before flying off with the struggling, furious, and devestated she-cat away from Thunderclan.

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**Points and an Abover plushie to anyone that can guess who the dark brown tabby Abover is. cx**

**THIS WILL BE CONTINUED.**


	2. Chapter 2

Dovewing blinked open her eyes, head pounding. Rocks loomed in front of her, threatening to consume her at the slightest movement. "Wh... where am I...?" the pale gray she-cat asked the empty air. She sat up, wincing as her sore muscles popped in protest.

She flicked her whiskers, trying to remember what had happened last night to get her to this desolate place. Her ears swiveled around as she caught a sound in the corner of the cave.

"Where." The sound said, deep and scratching. The word was followed by a series of clicks and whistles. "Where." the voice repeated.

Dovewing's head whipped around, ears swiveling as she tried to pinpoint the creature as her eyes darted around, searching for the slightest bit of movement. "Who are you?"

"You." the voice clicked back. "Who."

Something moved in the corner of the cave in the shadows and Dovewings eyes latched onto it. But, however hard she strained, she couldn't make out the form of the creature.

"What are you?" the pale gray she-cat asked the creature, eyes narrowed.

"What."

Dovewing let out a growl of frustration. No matter what she asked, the thing kept repeating it, not answering her questions at all. "Can you at least tell me your name?" she mewed, trying to force her anger down.

"Name?" the thing asked. It clicked a few times before replying. "Name is..." it trailed off.

Dovewing's fur fluffed up. "Do you not have a name?" She saw the shadow shake it's head.

"Not... name." it replied.

The pale gray she-cat felt sorry for the creature. If it didn't have a name, then it most likely didn't even have a family. "Well, I can tell you my name. My name is Dovewing."

"Dove..." the shadow repeated. "Wing."

The pale gray she-cat nodded. "Can you come out so that I may see you? I won't be afraid if you have anything to hide. I promise."

"See..." The shadow appeared to hesitate before it stepped out of the shadows. Dovewing let out a strangled cry, scrambling to back away from it.

"Afraid!"the dark brown tabby Abover screeched, flapping his wings and kicking up dust.

"Of course I'm afraid!" Dovewing hissed, lashing out at his wings.

"Promise!" The Abover cried as it took off, flying onto a ledge out of Dovewings reach. He let out a series of shrill clicks and hiss-screechs as his hooked wings scrabbled on the ledge face in his fear.

"To the Dark Forest with that promise!" Dovewing spit at the Abover. "You killed my mate and countless others of my clan! And not only did you kill him, but you _enjoyed _killing him!"

The Abover cringed and attempted to press himself flat on the ground. "Not enjoy! Not enjoy!" it cried. "It who am! Not enjoy kill!"

"Oh, is that so?" Dovewing snarled. "Then why didn't- why _haven't _you killed _me_ yet?"

The Abover let out a strangled gasp-like sound but otherwise remained silent.

"Well?"

The dark brown tabby only shook his head.

Dovewing let out an enraged and grief filled cry. "Then let me go!"

The Abover clicked and whistled. "Others kill you. Let you go, others kill Dovewing. Other's kill Dovewing and... and..." unable to find the right word, the Abover clicked three times and finished with a short whistle.

"And _what?_" Dovewing growled.

The tom hesitated before opening and closing his beak as through he were eating. Dovewing felt her heart sink and she collapsed onto the ground. "This is hopeless!" she wailed. "I'm going to die here!"

The Abover landed on the ground next to Dovewing. He wrapped his big wings around her, trying to comfort her, but pulling back as the pale gray she-cat let out a low growl. He settled down on the side of the cave opposite of her. "Is not hopeless, Dovewing. Will not let others kill you. Promise."

Dovewing sniffed. She looked at the dark brown tabby Abover. "How is it that you are speaking my language? All you would say before was-" Dovewingtied to copy his clicks and whistles, and the Abover looked extremely mortified.

"What you say kill, Dovewing."

Dovewing winced. "Sorry..." she shuffled her paws. "But, I mean, how do you know my language already? Is it, like, some sort of ability you Abovers have?" Dovewing shook her head in amazement at the thought. "You things are... tough for me tosay, but, you things are amazing!"

The Abover clicked and whistled before he winced. "Not things. Are the Skrichkonrakrns."

Dovewing blinked. "The Scratch the what now?"

The Abover snorted. "Call the Abover." he fanned out his wings before continuing. "Learn language fast only if you not die. If other Skrich- if other Abovers kill Dovewing, Abover will not learn language, will not say language. If you are killed by others, or other things, Abover will-"

"You will forget everything that you had learned." Dovewing whispered, catching on.

The Abover nodded. "And Abover will forget everything about Dovewing. Abover will be like other Abovers, and kill more mate. It will be hopeless for others like Dovewing. Abover will kill others. of clan."

Dovewing was troubled by this, but she was more troubled by the fact that the beast was referring to himself as "Abover". "We need to figure out a name for you." she mewed.

The tom looked troubled. "Is Abover not Abover's name?" he asked.

Dovewing's whiskers twitched in amusement. "No. And would you please stop referring to yourself in third person? Use words like 'I' or 'Me' or 'My'. Understand?"

The dark brown tabby Abover nodded. "Abov-" He cut himself off at Dovewing's scowl. "I mean, I understand."

Dovewing sighed. "Okay. What would you like to be called?"

The beast shrugged. "I haven't learned enough of your language to know what I will like to be called."

Dovewing's ear flicked. She observed his cat pelt, noting how it was stripped, like a tigers. "Okay then... How about... Tigerheart?" she mewed.

"Tigerheart..." the Abover said, trying out the name before he squacked. "I like it!" he flapped his wings. "I am Tigerheart!"

Dovewing purred. "Yes. Now get over here so we can work on your words."

**...**

**So, in short, all of you were W-R-O-N-G. xp Birdflame, you were _so close!_** **You were only the suffix off!****  
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	3. Chapter 3

**Hnhn... Mokay. I feel a need to review reviews.**

**Guest: Not cat Griffins. They are something else. I'm working on a drawing so that I can make it the picture for this story so that everybody knows what they look like.**

**Birdflame: Aboverheart would have been too obvious. This is a SecretSanta project, so I'm going by what my assigned person likes. (Dovewing x Tigerheart) I'm also needing to do a little something with the history of the clans, as explained in this chapter.**

**Starsinger04: Hnhn. Sorry if it confusing. It is a little far-fetched. But I'm still introducing the story, so... XD**

**...**

**Onto ta story!**

**...**

"So Starclan are dead cats that talk to you in your dreams...?" Tigerheart asked slowly.

Dovewing nodded. "They give the Medicine Cats prophecies and omens to help the clans."

"Riverclan, Thunderclan, Windclan, and Skyclan." Tigerheart said. He clicked softly and stretched his wings. "Are there any more clans of dead cats?"

Dovewing hesitated before answering. "Yes." the pale gray she-cat mewed. "The Place of No Stars. More commonly known as the Dark Forest. They're bad. Evil. All bad cats go there."

"Oh. So the cats that attacked you were... dead?"

"Yup."

"Interesting..." Tigerheart scratched at his side with a taloned hindleg. "Which one did your mate go to after I... killed... him?"

"Starclan." Dovewing answered immediately.

Tigerheart nodded. He stretched out his wings, hooking himself to the ceiling of the cave. He looked down at Dovewing as he got comfortable on the roof. "Tell me more about the clans. Like the one you're from."

Dovewing rolled onto her back, looking up at Tigerheart as he looked down at her. "There used to be five clans, in the old forest, so long ago that I wasn't even born. Like, my one _hundredth _ great grandparents time."

"What were the clans names?" Tigerheart asked, curiosity obvious on his face.

"Well, there were the four that are at the lake today: Thunderclan, Riverclan, Windclan, and Skyclan. The fifth was a clan called Shadowclan. They were dark and mysterious, territorial and aggressive. They lived in a forest of pine trees,where they ate disgusting things like rats and lizards."

"Rats and lizards taste _amazing_, by the way!"_  
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Dovewing laughed at the Abover. "Okay. Whatever you say. But anyways. Back to the story.

"Skyclan was having trouble in their territory. Twolegs were moving in, building dens, chopping down trees, and scaring away the prey that the clan hunted. The tree-dwelling clan was growing hungry, and they were forced to discard their dignity to beg the other clans to move their borders so that the struggling clan could live. But they all refused.

"Just as Skyclan was about to turn their back on the other four clans to look for a new home, Shadowclan just... disappeared. Nobody knew... Nobody _knows_ where they went."

"They just vanished?" Tigerheart gasped. "Just like that? How can an entire clan just disappear without anybody noticing?"

Dovewing shrugged. "I don't know. But Skyclan moved into the empty territory, saved from being expelled into the unknown by the unwanting clans."

"That is so... odd." The dark brown tabby Abover released his hold on the roof of the cave and settled down beside Dovewing.

"Tell me about yourself." Dovewing mewed. "What about the Scritch con rats?"

"Skrichkonrakrns," Tigerheart corrected. "I don't know. We don't tell each other stories of the past. You would need to ask the elder Skrichkonrakurns, because only he knows the stories. One storyteller to remember the past, and we don't ask him to tell them, because we forget when we hear our past. If one was to not forget the past, and remember the stories, that means that he is the next storyteller, and becomes apprenticed to yhe old one to learn the stories of the past."

Dovewing blinked, shocked. "Well then... what _do _you remember?" the pale gray she-cat asked.

"Our own lives." Tigerheart replied. "When we are near our deaths, Storyteller comes to us so we can tell him the story of our lives so that he knows. If our story is unique, he remembers it forever until he shares it with the new Storyteller. If it is the same as another Skirchkonrakrns, then he forgets it and we are never spoken of again."

"Wow. That sucks. I would hate to be forgotten."

Tigerheart shrugged. "That's just how our lives work. Also, after the ceremony of the telling, Storyteller gives us our names based off of the lives that we led. That we, we die with something new and personal to us, distracting from the pain of our dyeing bodies."

Dovewing thought over this for awhile before she spoke. "Can I meet this Storyteller?"

Tigerheart gave her an amused look. "If you want to get eaten as soon as he lays eyes on you, by all means, seek him out."

Dovewing was unamused by this. More so, she was puzzled. "Why would he do that?" she asked.

The Abover gave her a droll stare. "He doesn't like company that is any kind but the Skritchkonrakrns." He clicked twice. "Most of us can be that way."

"Oh." The pale gray she-cat winced as her stomach growled loudly. "Is there anything for me to eat?" she asked. Tigerheart flicked an ear before getting up and padding out of the cave. Left all alone, Dovewing sighed and laid her head on her paws, looking around at the bland scenery with her eyes.

Tigerheart returned quickly. "We're going out to hunt." he told Dovewing.

"Okay." Dovewing mewed, getting up and padding over to the cave entrance where Tigerheart was. She tried to get past him, but he balanced out on his hindlegs and blocked her path with his hooked wings. She glared at him and he snorted.

"We need to fly, and you don't have wings. I'm going to have to carry you."

Dovewing growled at him before she replied. "Fine." she spat. She braced herself as the dark brown tabby Abover flapped his wi gs, gaining height before he wrapped his taloned hind legs around the pa,e gray she-cats torso and taking off.

As soon as they left the cave, the ground immediately cliffed off. Dovewing's eyes widdened as she looked at the drop, and was glad that she hadn't tried to escape, because if she had, her broken and mangled body would be having it's bones picked clean by rats and other vermin by now. Shivering at the thought, Dovewing saw other Abovers poking their heads out of their own caves to squawk and click and whistle at each other. Some even flew out at each other, clawing and pecking and biting as they fought, and all battles resulted with one of the Abovers plummeting towards the earth because of a torn wing.

Looking away, Dovewing stared out at the ground ahead and was more surprised by it than she had been of the drop.

It was all rock. Pillars and mountains of rock that stretched out in every which way. Not a single tuft of grass or stray bush grew there. All was still, because not even a tiny flicker of life lived in the land of rocks besides the Abovers on their tall mountain. It was as though the entire land were frozen in time, breathless as it waited for a tiny spring of grass to grow in it's desolate and hostile environment.

Tigerheart noticed that Dovewing was shocked by the land and he whistled to get her attention. "We call it The Land of the Cursed!" he shouted above the wind.

"Why?" Dovewing shouted back.

"Nobody knows! It's just what we call it!" Ha paused before continuing. "I'm sure Storyteller would know!"

Dovewing flicked an ear. "When can you bring him to me to meet?"

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because Storyteller only comes when it is time for a telling!"

"What in the name of the Dark Forest do you mean by that?"

"I mean," Tigerheart yelled as he tilted his wings down slightly, gliding. "That he will come to you when it is time for answers!"

"So... Is he like some sort of secretive Medicine Cat that only talks when there is a prophecy to give?" Dovewing asked.

"Sure." Tigerheart huffed as he flapped his wings, picking up speed as the forest line came into view. "Something like that."

Confused by his words, Dovewing grew silent as she grew closer to the food.

...

**Dear bloody hell. That took forever to type up! I have two parts written to this chaoter, broken up by a line, but this was long enough that I think I may just well type up the rest for tomorrow! XP Anywho, thanks for reading this 'un. I had to type it twice because I accidentally deleted it the first time. XD Enough complaining from me, though! Have a good day, everybody, and until tomorrow!**


	4. Chapter 4

Dovewing pounced on a skinny shrew, killing it with a neat nip to the neck. She sat up and turned around, prey in jaws, before jumping back with a startled screech. The shrew dropped to the ground as Dovewing tried to catch her breath and slow her racing heart.

"Don't _do_ that!" the pale gray she-cat exclaimed, tail lashing as her adrenaline receded.

Tigerheart looked amused by her reaction. "Sorry," he said with a shrug. "Didn't know it would startle you so much."

Dovewing forced her fur to lie flat. "Yeah, well, now you do." She bent down to pick up her dropped shrew. With it in her jaws, she padded away to search for a place to eat it.

Tigerheart walked next to her, hooked wings patting softly on the occasional stone. Dovewing glanced sideways at the Abover as he turned his head, catching the glint of the setting sun on his black beak. His dark brown tabby fur looked ruffled from flying, and his eyes were a deep, intoxicating amber.

Stopping, Dovewing settled down on a tuft of springy grass, digging into her shrew with eager bites. Tigerheart sat down next to her, beak stretching wide open as he yawned. Bending her head down, Dovewing took another bite of the shrew, chewing it thoughtfully as she tried to figure out how to start up a conversation with the strange Abover.

Finally figuring out what she wanted to say, the pale gray she-cat turned to face him. "Hey, Ti-"

"Sh." Tigerheart hissed, ears pricked straight up and swiveling, catching sounds that Dovewing couldn't hear. She shut her mouth as she let him listen to the sounds. "Someone's coming!" he hissed at her, shoving her with her head. "Hide!"

But no sooner had he said it did three Abovers land in the clearing. One was a deep brown in color, and large in size, even larger than Tigerheart. Another was small and white, with a single black spot in the center of it's forehead. The final was pitch black, and with it's green eyes, the Abover reminded Dovewing of Hollyleaf, a noble she-cat who had died in the battle against the Dark Forest.

Tigerheart immediately jumped out in front of Dovewing, opening his beak and letting loose an ear-splitting screech at the three newcomers. The three Abovers hiss-growled and flapped their wings, taking air for a few heartbeats before settling back down. They clicked and squaked at Tigerheart as he growl-snarled at them.

"Wh-what do they want?" Dovewing asked, backing away.

"Want! Want!" They repeated. Narrowing their eyes to slits, they screeched before they leapt at Dovewing and Tigerheart.

Tigerheart let out a yowl and intercepted two of them, leaving the large brown one to Dovewing. The pale gray she-cat was left unprepared as she was knocked over by the large Abover. Quickly, the Abover dug it's beak into the she-cat's shoulder, making her yowl out in pain. Dovewing, vision blurred by the pain, turned her head, catching the Abover's wing in her jaws and bit down, tasting blood. Without meaning to, she broke the Abovers wing, forcing him to pull back and swing his head around, screeching in pain.

The dark brown Abover cast an evil glare at Dovewing, it's beak dripping with her blood. The she-cat watched, perplexed as it flapped it's wings, taking air for only a single heartbeat before falling back to the ground, where it struggled to get back up.

As it was about to stand and try again, Tigerheart appeared and pinned it down. The dark brown creature struggled to free itself from the smaller dark brown tabby. Tigerheart snarled at the Abover, and when it didn't cease it's struggling, he screeched at it. The beast went still, attentive to Tigerheart. The tabby slowly clicked and whistled at the other Abover, and it responded with it's own click and whistles.

While they exchanged unknown words, Dovewing observed her wound. It was deep, but somehow the Abover had only managed to injure her while striking only a minor blood vessel. The pale gray she-cat licked it tenderly, wincing at the sting of the new wound as she cleaned it. She looked around for cobweb to cover it with to stop the bleeding.

Dovewing jumped when she heard a crack and looked up to see Tigerheart making his way to her. She peered around him to see the dark brown Abover lying dead on the ground, the black one a few tail-lengths away from it, and the white one nowhere to be seen.

"We need to go." Tigerheart growled, patting his way past Dovewing.

Dovewing limped her way over to Tigerheart and walked beside him. "What did they want?"

"You." Tigerheart replied simply, forcing his way through a bush. Dovewing limped around it and met the dark brown tabby Abover on the other side.

"Why didn't you let them have me?" Dovewing asked, curious.

Tigerheart ignored her question and sniffed at the air. "There;s a hollow up ahead," he told her. "We should be able to get there by moonhigh and stay there for a few days while you heal until the others find us." He continued to pat his way forward.

Dovewing let out a low growl and Tigerheart freezed. "Why did you try to avoid the question?"

The Abover's amber eyes narrowed. "Why are you questioning my motives?" he countered. "Why don't you answer me this before I answer your question: Why are you still here with me on the ground when you can easily escape?"

Dovewing's fur fluffed up. "Do you _want _me to go? Because if you do, I will go right now."

Tigerheart shuffled his taloned hind legs and looked away.

"Well?" the she-cat pressed.

"I want you to be happy." Tigerheart whispered. "And if that means you leaving me then... so be it." The Abover looked sad as he said the words, but when he looked into Dovewing's eyes, she was shocked to see that he meant them all. He sighed and turned around, fanning out his wings to prepare and fly away. "If you change your mind... I'll be waiting." he told her before flapping his wings and flying away, kicking up dust and loose leaves.

Dovewing watched him fly away until he was well out of sight before she collapsed onto the ground in defeat, crying out for all that she had lost in that single day.

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**Yay! Fourth chapter! XP**


	5. Chapter 5

**I AM SO SORRY THAT I WAS UNABLE TO UPDATE FOR TWO DAYS! But no excuses! Time to review my reviews!**

**...**

**Flufles: ... *cracks up***

**Ruby: Specifics? ;D**

**Starsinger: Of course! Every story needs a childish character in it! XP**

**Guest: Why, I am for certain going to keep this up until my fingers are dried and cracked from writing and typing. Or until the story is over. XD**

**Bit: XDDDDD I am so glad that you like this, Bit. I write to please you, because as you know, this is your secret santa gift. :P**

**Nameless: Oh hoi! Tell me what you think after you read this chapter for your first question. I'll answer your second one though!  
>Do you think they should be turned once bitten? XD<strong>

**...**

**ONTO THE STORY!**

**...**

Exhausted, Dovewing stumbled into an abandoned badger den. She collapsed on the ground, coughing and sneezing as dust billowed up from the old, dry, mud-caked leaves covering the floor. The pale gray she-cat curled up with a sigh, licking her shoulder wound, hissing in pain at the sting of it. She nuzzled it softly, pulling away as she felt the feverish touch of an infection.

Something white moved outside of the moonbeams that fell into the den. Dovwing stiffened, letting out a low warning growl, and the shape stepped out of the shadows.

"Hello, Dovewing." The Abover greeted with a dip of it's massive white head. He folded his winged fore paws behind him to reduce his level of threat to the pale gray she-cat.

"H-how do you know my name?" Dovewing asked him. She started to back her way out of the den, surprised to the extreme to see that the white beast was not moving to attack her.

"If you're going to exit the den," he told her with nervous glances at the wall. "Please hurry up. I don't like tight spaces." His bone-white beak caught a glint on the moons beams. "My wings cramp up and I feel as though I'm about to be crushed."

Hesitantly, Dovewing backed the rest of the way out of the old badger den. She settled down next to a tree, muscles tense so she could flee at any given sign of attack from the white Abover as he squeezed his way out of the hole. The pale gray she-cat noticed dully that half of his wings were black, while the rest of it was a glistening white.

"What do you want?" Dovewing asked once the Abover was settled down next to the den entrance. "And how do you know my language?"

The white Abover made a chuckling sound. "Please forgive me. I almost always tend to forget to introduce myself. I am Storyteller, and it is my duty to know every language of every creature my kind preys upon. How else would I be able to tell stories to ones like you?"

"St-St-Storyteller?" Dovewing stuttered in disbelief. "W-what are you doing here?"

The white Abover snorted He tapped the ground next to him and Dovewing obediently got up and padded over, sitting down next to him. "Why do you think I'm here?" Storyteller asked the pale gray she-cat as she got comfortable next to him.

"To... tell me... stories...?" Dovewing asked hesitantly, letting out a sigh as the Abover nodded.

"But not just any story. Oh no. I'm here to tel you _the _story. The one that ties into the one that you told the Abover that you named Tigerheart."

Dovewign blinked, not understanding. "How is that possible? The Abovers weren't even around until my grand-fathers mentor was a kit."

Storyteller shook his massive head. "I am ashamed of the stories the clans tell you cats these days." He settled into a crouch and his eyes got a far-away look to them. "Nineteen storytellers before me, the first one was a cat."

"A _cat?_" Dovewing repeated, incredulous. She looked at Storyteller, trying to imagine him as a cat.

The white beast snorted. "I know, right? Hard to imagine, considering we _already look half cat._" he growled with a short-tempered sneer.

Dovewing felt her pelt heat up and she adverted her skeptical gaze. "S-sorry." she mewed.

"Anyways, the first Storyteller was a cat named Dawnstar. She-"

"Wait." Dovewing interrupted. "You were not only cats, but you were also _clan_ cats?"

Storyteller growled. "Yes. Now shut up and listen, or I will eat you right now for wasting my current and future precious time." That shut the she-cat up immediately and the white Abover let out a satisfied grunt. "Long ago, during the reign of Dawnstar, our kind was very brutal. It was foreseen in our furture that we would bring blood into the clans. When Dawnstar was told this, she still did not change the ways of the clan. Instead, she increased their attacks on the other clans. And so the cats blindly followed their leader, greedy for more than their fair share. Countless lives were lost because of the battles, and other clans grew to fear the one that we originate from.

"One day, a cat came to Dawnstar. He told her that if she did not change the ways of her leadership, the clan was to suffer greatly. That they were to suffer in greater ways than the she-cat could imagine.

"But still Dawnstar did not change. She continued to lead her cats into battles, fighting against unneeded enemies. When a clan was said to be about to be driven out of their territory, Dawnstar was the first o act upon it. She devised a plan to lead her cats into battle against the struggling clan and attempt to drive them out sooner than the intruders on the clan would. But as Dawnstar was about to gather cats for the attack, havoc and all of hell broke loose.

"Yowls were heard, and Dawnstar rushed out of her den. She could see cats struggling to run as wings and talond took the place of their paws. Beaks protruded from teh cats muzzles, and mothers wailed as they killed their kits when they tried to pick them up with their new jaws. The medicine cat ran about, trying to figure out what was going on until he, too changed, and began to panic even more.

"Dawnstar ran to her deputy, panicked to see him already changed into one of the beasts that her clan was being turned into. She tried to ask him what was happening, but all that fell out of her deputies mouth was a squawk.

"Soon the whole clan was turned, all but Dawnstar. As she watched her panicked clan racing and flapping about, a head-splitting head ache cascaded over the she-cat and the leader collapsed onto the ground. As she began to change, a shadow fell upon her, and she looked up to the cat that had come to her all those moons ago in all his glory. He stood over her, face vacant as words fell out of his unmoving mouth. _I had warned you_, he had told her. _And still you did not heed my advice._

" 'I'm sorry!' Dawnstar yowled as her fore paws were changed, the process painfully slow. 'Please! I promise I will change now! Please!'

_"It is too late_ the mysterious cat told her.

"'Then there must be another way!' Dawnstar cried as she tried to stand, falling as her hindlegs began to change to the talons of her clan mates. The tom tilted his head, thinking, before his eyes glazed over. When he spoke, he sounded as though he were speaking with thousands of other voices.

" 'All will forget everything, except you and the one meant to take your place. You can speak, but none will remember the words you say.

" 'But what about changing back?' Dawnstar squawked as her muzzle began to change into a beak.

"The tom flicked his tail, and it appeared as though other tail's were following it's path before they joined back into the one. 'There will be one that can save you.' he and the thousand other voices said 'One of your own will fall in love, and if the receiver of their love loves them back, then and only then will all be restores.'

"Dawnstar had wanted to reply, but her vision was growing hazy. Against her will, she stood, and called out to the clan before all went black. Later on, the leader woke up ion the hostile land called the Land of The Cursed today, a name that the hateful spirit of the leader had given it to spite all that would follow after her."

Storyteller's eyes lost their far away look to them, and he sighed. "And that is how we are what we are and who we are."

Dovewing blinked, shocked by the story. She hesitated before speaking. "What does this have to do with my story though, Storyteller? Why did you decide to tell me it now, while I was alone?"

The white Abover looked aggrivated by her questions. "Now I remember why I took so long in searching for my successor after the russet one died." He growled half to himself. He shook his massive head before looking at Dovewing again. "That is for you to decide, strong, young warrior." He told her before he unfurled his wings and took off before the pale gray she-cat could register his words.

"Wait..." Dovewing mewed, finally registering Storytellers parting words. "Wait! Sotryteller!" She yowled into the sky, standing up. But the white Abover was already long gone by the time she had stood and shouted. Plopping down onto her bottom, Dovewing sighed. "I still had questions to ask you..." she whispered to the air. Looking back up at the sky, Dovewing prayed silently to the few glistening stars of sunset, praying to Starclan about the matters of the past couple of days before she got up and limped away from her spot.

...

**Mokay. I'm going to need some cats here for a "potential" ambush on the Abovers in about four more chapters. I'm going to need about _seven original characters _and _nine canon characters from the books. _Here are the forms that I will need for them:**

**...**

_Original characters:_

_Name:  
>Clan:(Wind Thunger, Sky, or River)<br>__Position: (Warrior, Apprentice, Deputy, or leader.)  
>Age: (over nine moons)<br>Personality:_

_..._

_Canon Characters_

_Name  
>Clan:<br>__Did they do anything major in the books?  
><em>_If yes, then what?  
>Last time they appeared in the allegiances (in which book did you last see them in?)<em>

_..._

**And... Yup. Remember, seven orignals and nine canons! Many will enter, and few will win! XD**

**Anyways. A good day to you all. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are enjoying the story even more! Until next time!**

**~Trinity**


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